dave s
Jonathan Zimmerman (Bruno Ganz) is dying of cancer. In order to provide for his wife and son, he is coerced by Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper), a mysterious art dealer, and Raoul Minot (Gerard Blain), an equally mysterious criminal, to commit a murder in exchange for a large sum of money. What starts out as a pretty standard thriller quickly evolves into something more complex – a film about existential angst as Zimmerman comes to terms with the consequences of his actions and the long-term impact on all involved. Director Wim Wenders does an excellent job delving into Zimmerman's character and motivation, turning The American Friend into something quite different than expected. Despite the baffling and unlikely climax, it is a very satisfying thriller that asks as many questions as it does provide answers.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
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Shioka O
It's mostly in German and sometimes in English, so I need to switch/follow the subtitles... otherwise good film.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
09/21/22
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isla s
This is very much a European arty film - there is fairly little dialogue and it has some good cinematography. I liked the shots of the train with sunrise/sunset reflected on the outside carriages. There is a thoughtful side to it too and it'd be fair to say its a somewhat quirky film. It isn't tense or gripping but its watchable certainly. I'd say if your a fan of the directors work then its worth a watch yes - the final scene had a certain poignancy to it, I felt, though its not the kind of film likely to particularly appeal to everyone.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I am a big fan of both Patricia Highsmith and Wim Wenders - separately. Together, they don't mix. Wim Wenders proved himself to be capable of directorial genius with movies such as "Wings of Desire" and "Paris, Texas," but he was the wrong person to direct a movie based on one of Highsmith's Ripley novels. It's slow when it should be fast, fast when it should be slow, and all too often unclear regarding what's happening and what's motivating the characters. I recommend the book, instead.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/13/23
Full Review
William L
The character of Tom Ripley has sort of evaporated from popular culture, at least in his original form as the subject of Patricia Highsmith's novels. Instead, we're left to piece together a collage of the character through a number of adaptations and lingering references, two of the most prominent of which are Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr. Ripley and this Wim Wenders noir classic (Delon will have to sit in the corner, I haven't gotten to him yet); in the former, Ripley is a chillingly suave and sociopathic con artist with seemingly no level that he won't stoop to in his pursuit of easy living, while Hopper's take on the character is much more obtuse, mysterious, and humane, all of which contribute to the heady atmosphere of this noir homage.
Exploring the influence of Hopper's Ripley over the protagonist (Ganz's Jonathan Zimmerman) and the role of American cinematic style in an international sense, Wenders takes bold steps to touch on the prevalence of an American moral and cultural presence on a world scale, for better or worse. Though predominantly set in Continental Europe, the language of choice for conversations between strangers tends to be English, and American rock music features prevalently in the soundtrack. The internal conflict of Ganz's character can best be described as an internal tug-of-war, between the immediate sanctuary of his quiet home life and loving wife (German-speaking, largely faithful, upright), pulling against an ambition to protect his family in the long-term, pulling him deeper into morally questionably grounds (the 'American influence' - quick money, no questions). However, Wenders injects a particular humanism and complexity that goes well beyond simple interpretations - Ripley is at once ridiculous, underhanded, and the instigator of the conflict that tears at Zimmerman, but ends up a true friend that cares for his well-being; Ripley sets up circumstances such that Zimmerman will be offered a position as a contract killer, but he doesn't force him to accept, Zimmerman alone made that choice. It's this strange combination of a dark view of human nature and a resilience of camraderie and love that Wenders alone seems to have been able to pull off so convincingly.
Apart from the thematic depth, The American Friend is just a well-made understated thriller, full of well-composed imagery, great atmosphere, and tension in long, drawn-out scenes that you can cut with a knife. The assassinations are small-scale, intimate, and believable, and taken together with Ganz's conflicted and flustered depiction of his character, it's exceptionally well-made. Really tempted to rate this one higher, actually. (4/5)
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
11/13/21
Full Review
Audience Member
Nowadays I don't really enjoy violent films but this was OK as a film. It was quiet. I quite liked that it was actually just an honest drama film - no over the top special effects or wild action, weird twists or plot gimmicks. It had a solid plot with just enough complexity to keep it interesting, the characters were not marvels but had some solidity, depth and believability (the men anyway, the women might as well have been postcards). It was a very masculine film which I appreciated. It definitely reminded me of the Conversation too in these ways, also how the tension built up throughout the film. At the ending thinking back to the start with the art auction - it is like another world. I did find the film a little over-long but that may just be my mood. I also wondered about the ending I guess even if he didn't know he was going to die right then he knew he was going to die soon and the way he laughed as he drove away, suppose he just didn't care any more and was helping his wife.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/18/23
Full Review
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